The Death of Destiny
by Forever the Pretender
Summary: Merlin is left broken at his mothers mysterious death and the purge that followed. He gives up on all the good in his world and becomes the man that killed the Albion. Emrys. Warning-Dark, Slight Gore and Quite a bit of Character Death.
1. Death came on swift paws

_The people there hadn't seen anyone who looked like me near her house. They didn't notice the woman in the rough brown cloak. Neither did Hunith, at least until the decrepit old lady became a person that had been welcome there not long ago. Hunith sent prayer to her old gods and thought of Merlin as she waited for oblivion coming toward her on swift paws. She saw a flash of gold in the eyes half hidden by dark hair and screamed the name her son would never hear her say "EMRYS!"_


	2. Darkness creeps upon him

_ Merlin awoke to screaming in his ears and felt a solitary tear travel down his face. He dressed and sat at the table his brain slowly working out the cause of the pain in his heart. Then Merlin lifted his head and looked forward and his mind screamed. Gaius came rushing in hearing the scream in his mind and shook Merlin and asked what had happened. He got one word in reply. "Mother."_

_ The news came the next day from Will's younger brother who'd rode through the night to tell the people. Gaius was more upset than he let on but he was worried as well. Worried because Merlin hadn't cried or talked in more than monosyllables. He was more than worried about the magic that was bursting out of Merlin whenever he heard talk of him or his mother or Ealdor. A cup would drop or a small inconsequential thing at first but then it grew into a sudden wind or a flaring torch and Gaius just knew that he need to talk to him._

_ However when he looked he was nowhere to be found. He went to Arthur's rooms and to Gwen's house. He questioned the incredibly drunk Lancelot, Elyan and of course Gwaine. He had started to despair when he saw the black figure surrounded in spiraling wind high upon the battlements. He went as fast as he could to stop Merlin before someone saw. But when he got up there he wasn't greeted by Merlin's voice murmuring enchantments but the smooth voice of Morgana and he stopped in his tracks. He heard her say in her familiar voice "Think about it, Emrys. Please." And he saw a flash of bright light and came through the door and asked the young black haired man in front of him "Merlin, What have you been doing?" He got a curt reply from the figure now descending the stairs "Thinking over my priorities."_

_From that day forward Merlin did not change his demeanor from the harsh icy tone that Gaius had only heard when Merlin had spoken with Morgana. He betrayed no emotion not even through his ice blue eyes that had once danced with joy. He would disappear during his breaks and return in a whirlwind of fire to his room but Gaius didn't know the true extent of the change bubbling beneath Merlin's emotionless exterior. No one did._

_Merlin heard that familiar voice in his head. He had got a message from Morgana to meet her on the battlements. He wasn't surprised nor apprehensive nor anything. He no longer felt anything. So he went to talk with the woman who'd betrayed them all._

_ "Even my scrying wouldn't tell me if you were coming Merlin. That seems impossible, doesn't it." quipped Morgana as Merlin appeared through a fireball in front of her. She was wearing a midnight blue silk dress and velvet cloak. Merlin always noticed everything about Morgana. Then she really looked at him and gasped at his emotionless ice cold features and asked "What in the name of the Gods has happened to you?" He explained it all including the fact that he was progressing too fast for her, Morgause or anyone to fathom but throughout the entire time neither talked until she croaked "Merlin, I didn't come here without a reason. I need to talk to you." He nodded and stepped back to listen. "I killed my sister. I tried to save her with magic and it killed her. I have no family left now. I wanted to start again with the druids but they pushed me away. So I went to the Isle of the Blessed and met a Sorceress that both of us know, Nimueh, and she explained what the purpose of me, you, Gwen and Mordred is. She wants you to come and talk." Morgana spoke in hushed tones. Merlin shook his head "You know of what happened last time I was near Nimueh. I don't want to test my patience today of all days." replied Merlin in a firm tone. However his argument was effectively nulled as Morgana transported them there anyway._

_ "Sorry, Merlin but I couldn't not bring you. You need to know the full scale of the destiny connecting us four." murmured Morgana apologetically. His eyes hardened but he followed Morgana to Nimueh's Tower. There stood Nimueh and the years hadn't changed her at all and then she flashed a smile at Merlin "No harm done Emrys." She declared "I'm not going to try and kill you again." She looked at Morgana and probably heard what he'd said earlier and grimaced but then flew the three of them to her scrying fount._

_ An hour later they were done and Morgana was going to take them back when Merlin asked one question "Is Mordred your son?" This stunned both the women but after a few seconds Morgana smirked and Nimueh nodded and remarked "Yes he is my son, Little Mordred. He told you your name Emrys. I would not take that lightly. He trusts you more than you know." "I neither want nor need the trust of anyone Nimueh. Not anymore. Goodbye." replied Merlin in a curt emotionless voice as Morgana swept them back to the battlements. However as soon as they reappeared Merlin saw Gaius staring worriedly. "Gaius saw, Morgana you've got to leave." murmured Merlin a hint of urgency and worry in the ice cold voice. _

_'Well I'll talk quickly then. I want you to come with me and leave Camelot. We can go to Ealdor and look around. We can do whatever needs doing but I need you nearby now I don't have Morgause. Without magic nearby I will lose the little control that I have over this. I don't want to turn mad or evil I just want to be Morgana again. I will meet you in the clearing where you listened to me and Morgause tomorrow in your break from my half brother, if you want to come at least.' whispered a silky smooth voice in his head. However much he hated hearing a voice in his head he understood the logic. "Think about it, Merlin. Please." continued Morgana aloud with an appraising look in her eye. Then they both froze as they heard a gasp behind the door and Merlin's mind sent a single word to ring around Morgana's head 'LEAVE!' _

_She disappeared in a burst of light. Gaius then stumbled through the door and asked the young black haired man in front of him "Merlin, What have you been doing?" As Merlin descended the stairs he replied "Thinking over my priorities." And maybe just maybe there had been a hint of a smile on the ice cold face._


	3. It begins

Gaius didn't see Merlin for entire days at a time. He at first assumed it was Arthur increasing his chores but then the Prince came and complained that Merlin was frequently late and usually distracted. So Gaius guessed Morgana and Merlin were having talks like the one upon battlements. This made Gaius worried once more for the boy he cared for like his own son. He knew that Merlin was more affected by his mother's death than everyone realised. He knew that talk he had planned before he witnessed the talk on the battlements would have to happen soon. He didn't want Merlin to get hurt and knew that being with Morgana would hurt him. So he planned to corner him the next day after he'd finished his chores.  
>'When I've finished my work here I'll meet you with my things outside the gate. Camelot shall no longer have its guardian.' sent Merlin. He left the armour cleaning itself under his bed. Their plan was simple. Morgana 'kidnaps' Merlin in a ball of flame in the middle of the courtyard prompting a country wide search for the prince's loyal servant. They leave a fake Merlin with his throat cut somewhere and watch as Camelot mourns and then Emrys and Morgana rise out the shadows and destroy towns one at a time.<p>

He wasn't sure when it had all changed but it had changed so much. A second purge had begun and finished within the months since he'd snapped. The magic was no longer his, the magic controlled him. And he didn't care. Three months since he learnt the four fold destiny and three months of peace for the Camelot he'd saved so many times. He mused how long it would survive without his protection. He knew that if he had anything to do without it would survive but at the highest costs possible. He didn't care if the Knights, Gwen or even Gaius died. They didn't matter. Nothing did. Then once again he saw the old physician staring at him and wished the old goat would get his nose out of things. He ignored the eyes boring into his back and walked purposefully across the courtyard shouting 'Now Morgana' in his head urgency slipping through the word like a choking vine. Then he felt the Blood Guard knife at his back and froze as he heard her whisper in that snake voice to stay still. She flashed a smirk at Gaius whose mouth drooped open in horror. She muttered the age old spell and they disappeared into the familiar silver twister.

Arthur Pendragon sat in his room staring at nothing not even noting Gwen's entrance. His mind was torn asunder. He knew that his father wouldn't let him but he wanted to run from this room and find Merlin, find Morgana and bring them both back. 'She knows what this is doing to me, to Gwen, to the Knights. What if she killed him? What would they do without that bumbling stupid idiot with them?' he thought. Gwen just sat next to him, hugged him and he knew she was feeling exactly the same. Then suddenly they both jumped. Words that were Merlin's snaked through their minds. 'Help me. Please find me I'm where we found Balinor. Please find me befo-' the scared urgent voice stopped abruptly bringing Arthur and Gwen's eyes up to each other.

Merlin and Morgana smiled at the same time. "It'll take them a day or two to get here. Let's get started." He said his voice slightly rough from under use. They hadn't talked in the hours since they left Camelot. They had no need. That day they worked on creating a realistic doppelganger for Merlin but that night Morgana was quiet, deep in thought and all of a sudden she asked "You said you were Emrys. Prove it." Merlin responded with a smirk to challenge her own and replied with another question "What would you suppose to be proof?" She quirked an eyebrow at this unexpected good humour and replied "Well it has to be something I've never seen anyone do before I suppose and I have known the two most powerful sorceresses of the century... Should I call you Merlin or Emrys?" He noted the challenge hidden her words and mused "Emrys, I suppose. Merlin left when his mother died. Oh yeah, proof. Watch closely."  
>He leant forward and as his eyes blazed the familiar deep gold a stick floated in him. He made explode into a thousand pieces then pulled it back to form a perfect sphere. Then he created an ornately carved M and passed it to Morgana. She held in gingerly in awe of the power used to make it and as she held it, it shimmered and glowed a thousand colours. "Wow...thanks, Emrys." she whispered to the man on watch for the night. He replied with a nod and a hint of a smile.<br>She had removed her bracelet so she could dream of her and Emrys and the future. She saw herself and him standing high in the air above the crumbling gate to the most powerful castle in all Albion. He was smiling like she did as The Lower Town collapsed, both his eyes and hers glowing a pure deep gold. Then she saw Arthur running out the Castle with Gwen and the remaining Knights. In that one second she saw things so clearly. Emrys and her were amazingly powerful and that scared Arthur and all of Albion. Gaius ran out after them and seeing Emrys knew him as his dead almost son and murmured no over and over. He used his pitiful magic to appear closer to us and, as I held back Arthur and his little Contingent, Gaius rose through the air by Emrys' magic and he said "Mer-" but Emrys stopped him. "No, Gaius. Merlin is dead and gone. So what I miss? Oh yeah it doesn't matter does it. Camelot's crumbling at its foundations and here we come. We're going to blow every single house in. And we are not going to stop. Bye bye old man." He said in the voice closer to her own than ever before. His apathy had given way to a burning anger and it was loose. The most powerful sorcerer of all time was unleashing his anger upon Camelot and, as Gaius twisted and bent slowly to his death and the horrified King and his pitiful friends looked on in abject fear, Emrys and I laughed.

Morgana sat up straight up and smiled. Emrys turned to her smiling "I was watching. Good dream wasn't it." He said the earlier good humour still in his voice. She raised an eyebrow at his hair "When did your hair go all Gwaine?" she asked laughter in her tone. "I started growing it while you slept and once I saw your dream I made it look like that." He said her laughter causing a smile to bleed through his thawing exterior. She flashed a warm grin at him one so different from her smirks he was dazed for a moment. "Come on Emrys. They won't believe it's your dead body if it's bald." She called laughter tickling her voice.

******  
>Okay tiny AN here... Thanks for being one of _**the over 100 **_who've read my fic! Please if you read this give a review. I have more ideas and chapters wondering around but they might be postponed by a lack of love from readers. Also I am creating a poll for who you wouldn't mind me killing off so have a gander of my shite profile. This 'tiny' note has got too big so bye :)


	4. Emrys is coming

But Emrys didn't hear her joking voice. He watched Arthur and the Knights riding through the forest already halfway to them. "Morgana, Arthur and the Knights are halfway here. They will be here before midday. Do you want me to do something to slow them down?" he said a smile drifting through his question. "Yes. I think Arthur should be introduced to Emrys. Do what you wish. I shall finish off here then we leave. Okay?" replied Morgana as her eyes glowed and the familiar smirk returned as the 'corpse' floated in the air.

Arthur hadn't stopped riding since his father had given him permission to go after them. He was being irrational chasing after 'The Servant' as his father had called him but he meant so much more than that to them all. He was his friend...his best friend and right at that moment he could be dead at the hands of his half sister. He didn't even care that he had magic. It made sense. He had just ignored the evidence of it. The Knights all had the same look of determination in their eyes as they pushed the horses harder to get to their friend. They were so close to where Merlin had told them and they could hear noises in the distance which made them push their horse further. Suddenly the horses froze, two of them all four feet off the ground. Then, as Arthur turned to the others, Leon fell off his unmoving horse screaming and as suddenly as he had started, he stopped. His head dropped and came back up jerkily. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to be breathing but his arm slowly moved to his sword. Arthur realised what was happening and shouted to Elyan who was closest "Get back!" He shook off the horrified stupor and jumped back slightly too late. The sword sliced into his shoulder faster than a wyvern strike and was back up before they could blink. The horses came back to life and Arthur shouted to Percival to get Elyan back to Camelot. The bulky man nodded fear in his eyes and grabbed the already unconscious man and dragged him on his horse. They heard another distant cry and Gwaine looked away from the hunchbacked Leon but jumped out the way as the sword flew through the air where his neck had been. The three focused on the pitiful form of their friend and didn't hear the laugh like a lightning bolt echo through the forest.

Merlin smirked and thought 'Ignore me if I scream. This one will probably hurt.' He shut his eyes and focused on his vision of Arthur riding. He saw it and with a laugh froze the horses in mid air. Then as he killed Leon he started screaming but he ignored the pain just as Morgana ignored his screams. He screamed until Leon started moving under his influence then he attacked. Elyan was injured and he didn't want to kill them yet so he unfroze the horses and Percival dragged Elyan up to take him back to Camelot. He slashed towards Gwaine but the man got away with his head making Emrys angry as the three focused upon him. With a laugh he launched his attack forcing the anger into the pitiful form of Leon. He moved Leon behind Lancelot and, holding the sword to his throat, murmured three words in the horrified Knights ear. "Emrys is coming." With those words the corpse dropped the sword which sliced into Lancelot's leg and fell down as the magic animating fled it. Emrys' eyes flew open, no longer golden but his usual light blue. "I think that slowed them down, Morgana." he said a smirk floating through the still water of his cold eyes. "I saw that all in my fount. I wanted to know...You really meant it. I mean, I wasn't sure. But Leon...I'm glad I didn't kill you Emrys." She said her eyes full of surprise but strangely no fear. "They'll be here after nightfall. And we are not leaving he needs to know what he's up against. Let him see us torturing 'Merlin' and then we do what we do best." Emrys said in a voice like hers.  
>"And what may that be ? Actually don't answer that I don't care. I just want to have some fun scaring my brother. I'm not letting you have all the fun jobs Emrys." Morgana queried a glimpse of the hatred she harboured for her brother showing in her malicious smile.<p>

Arthur, Gwaine and a limping Lancelot crept through the forest and saw the floating corpse of Merlin and two people standing in front of it laughing. Arthur gasped and the sorcerer's turned still laughing. Gwaine ran at them unable to stop himself. They both followed. But they were thrown back by Gwaine landing on top of them. They were forced to their knees. Arthur looked up and saw the eyes of his playmate, the girl who had bested him in combat and he felt like crying. He wanted to have that beautiful little sister back but all he saw was the bitter reflection their father created. Gwaine and Lancelot didn't even see the smirking ex ward of the king. They saw Emrys smiling down upon them and they recognised the ice blue eyes and long midnight black hair hiding his face but didn't believe. Their best friend, the bumbling idiot couldn't be the man with a heart encased in ice staring down with malice and laughter in his eyes. They couldn't say a word the enchantment binding them there too strong for even that.

"Well, knights how nice to see you did you like the distraction we sent?" said Emrys a laugh in his voice. Fear seeped throughout the Princes eyes as he saw the face of the man floating above him. He knew it was his friend but just wouldn't let that even register. "We're going to let you leave because to be honest letting you live is a fate worse than death now. There are dark days ahead for all of you. We'll let the bonds go you can fight us for a while but we have things to do so don't expect a long fight. We're coming to blow all the houses in so run and hide cause not even that will save you. " promised Morgana her smirk bigger than ever before. Emrys released the bonds and said one word "Run." But even though they knew nothing of their combined power they unsheathed their swords.

Emrys sighed inside at this pointless display of heroics. "Really Arthur? Gwen wouldn't be too happy if you died or if you died Lancelot. You already know what I can do and Gwaine, well no one will really care about you. Fight me? I'm the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived. I wouldn't try it but I'm not an arrogant royal prat am I." Said a quietly laughing Emrys as a shimmering black sphere formed in front of him. Morgana smirked the way that made Arthur so sad and created a shimmering red snake that curled around Emrys' black light and he saw the familiar challenge in her eyes. He heard her bittersweet voice curl in his head 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough."

Quick Mention for **AzraelLillith **for being my first reviewer :D Thank you all for being generally awesome and reading my rubbish.


	5. I think I did

However the fight was quickly forgotten as the Great Dragon landed in front of Emrys. "Not now Kilgharrah. I am going to kill you if you defend them, _move_." He said in a voice like thunder eventually using his inherited power to force the old creature out of the way, ignoring the fearful looks from the Knights and the incredulous one from Morgana. Kilgharrah sat next to the fight and said "Let me say my piece Emrys." The man nodded and sent one impatient word 'Quickly'. "Your destiny is in ruin, Pendragon, Emrys. The greatness has fallen to the sorcerer not the King. This must not happen. Magic balances mortal power, it must not overthrow it. This new one of evil alliance and terror is not the path meant for you Emrys. However you can call upon me to attack, if you wish. I still have things to settle with the tyrant." promised the fearsome beast. 'Thanks Kilgharrah. It shall be considered. Leave now unless you want to watch us scare off some Knights.' Sent Emrys smirking. "Just try it." He murmured toward the pitiful Knights readying themselves.

Arthur didn't want to be seeing this but he knew that as he fought his sister sword to sword, faster than ever before, that yes, Merlin as he knew him was dead but he was there laughing at them, his eyes a terrible deep gold, fighting like he'd never been their friend. 'I know brother. He's amazing and he hates you. You stood beside Uther as he enforced another madness induced purge. And you didn't care about the look on his face every single day. He hasn't been your 'friend' for a long long time.' He stopped fighting as he heard her words. She stopped and saw the guilt in his eyes and she laughed. He was frozen in place sword held slack at his side, his eyes on Emrys alone, and one solitary tear ghosted down his face. He didn't see the victorious look on Morgana's face at least not until she had her sword under his chin. "Brother, you could've stopped this but it's always been father over friends with you. We're not going to stop destroying because you need to know what we can do. Tell Gwen to go see Gaius. You've been a bad boy. You got a stupid little servant pregnant. Run and find her. Before we do." She said all good humour leaving her voice as she threatened Guinevere. "I'm not going to fight you. Not here. Death is in your moves, Morgana and if Gwen is in danger from you, then I will never stop protecting her." said the no longer scared, just sad Prince. He caught Gwaine and Lancelot's eyes and they both walked away. 'Would it be distasteful if I tripped them up?' sent a laughing Emrys. She replied with matching black laughter 'Go for it.' So Emrys' eyes flashed gold and all three men who had been trying to walk with dignity fell flat on their faces and both Morgana and Emrys laughed. And that laugh broke down the Prince's last defence from the sadness this gave him. He thought loudly in his head 'Get us away from here. Please.' and the last remnants of affection for them left in the sorcerers minds gave up and used their energy to send the pitiful men away. Arthur, Gwaine, Lancelot, the horses and their stuff all appeared in a bright light in a clearing just ahead of Leon's grave. Arthur told the other two to set up camp. He would go get water he told them. Unbeknownst to the three Morgana had placed a protection ward upon them so bandits wouldn't kill them. That was their job. However Arthur didn't get the water. He sat on a log beside the stream, put his face in his hands and cried. He didn't know what to do. He had let his best friend die and he could have stopped the madness and suffering and he hadn't. He knew Morgana and Emrys would follow through with their promises of terror and destruction.  
>He tried to think of other things. He thought of his father. He just saw Merlin face as the purge was announced. He thought of Gwen and he heard Morgana's words once more. He thought of the Knights and all he could see was Leon's corpse fighting them. He thought of Merlin and wondered how long this had been brewing and what they would do next. He went through all the possibilities each one reminding him of their words that day.<br>So he sat there tears falling through his fingers and waited for the oblivion of sleep to keep the thoughts away till morning light. Gwaine and Lancelot found his sleeping form on the log and carried him back to the camp. As they did he dreamt of friends without faces, of fathers with no heads and of a dead forest where black light shined and red snakes killed. He saw black werewolves that howled in Merlin's voice and scarlet cobras that spoke Morgana's words. Then it changed, he dreamt of an old decrepit mad witch who was sitting on a log next to a lake making fire and dousing it every so often and suddenly two people he never wanted to see again appeared behind her and walked toward her. "Do you know of a girl called Freya?" queried Emrys in a snake voice, on the face of it polite but in his eyes he saw the angry, merciless fire burning black and gold. The woman looked up and started muttering and looked away and said "Freya? Angry girl. Hurt Jesk, hurt him bad. Liked killing. Killing her favourite, she does more of that now. I gave her a blessing. Liked, Liked killing. Angry girl." muttered the woman, her eyes wild, and she laughed like a tree falling in the forest. "Angry girl..." she muttered quietly over and over and she turned to walk away. He had been too preoccupied with the mad words to see Emrys' face and he looked and saw anger, pure wrath waiting to be unleashed in the ice cold blue eyes. And saw anger surprisingly in Morgana's eyes as well hers righteous and not as strong but still as frightening. He didn't want to see the mad woman's fate. He opened his eyes and they flashed a light but unmistakeable amber gold. The fire leapt higher than was natural and there was more fear in his eyes at that than when he had fought Morgana. Gwaine turned round, eyes wide, scared, and asked "Who did that?" and Arthur trying to shake off his (completely rational) fear replied quietly "I think I did." And as Gwaine and Lancelot stared at the terrified prince, the two most powerful sorcerers alive laughed.

Muhahaha Cliffhanger. Thank you for my four reviews and 250+ readers! I really don't know who to kill off so please do my poll :D


	6. Do you know of a girl called Freya?

Just to warn you there's quite a gory bit in this one. On a completely unrelated note, I have had 350 people read this in less than a week! WOOHOO!

Gwaine and Lancelot sat beside the prince trying to understand what he had told them. He had dreamed of Emrys and Morgana's future and then woke and made the fire get higher, he had done magic. They didn't talk. At least until Lancelot lifted his head the next morning, disgust in his eyes. "They did it. They controlled your dreams showed you their plans and the bit left over went to the fire. We would already know if magic was inside you sire. Let's leave here, go to Camelot and find Gaius." He said disgust colouring his voice at this new betrayal from his once friends. Then he saw the quizzical looks from the other two "Elyan remember? We need to see how he is. Besides Percival would have explained most of it anyway. We go to the King as soon as we've seen Elyan and we need to talk to Gaius, find out just how powerful 'Emrys' is." murmured Lancelot, his voice aching from underuse.

"Damn, Lancelot worked it out. Should've left him for that Griffin" said Emrys jokey disappointment on his face. He had known one of them would work it out. He had given him the vision he had hours before. He couldn't wait to find the crone who had cursed his Freya. He knew where to go now but he needed to explain to Morgana. She would understand. He knew the anger burning in their eyes in the vision meant that the witch wouldn't see another day. Preferably not even the sunset tonight. He went over to Morgana's sleeping form and carefully mind prodded her, waking her up quickly. But she just rolled over. He realised it must be another dream so he sat down and connected to her sleeping mind and watched.

Uther Pendragon paced in his room, waiting for his stupid heroic son to return home triumphant, servant in hand and half sister shackled, He did not expect the rushed Percival carrying a blood soaked unconscious Elyan. He didn't say anything just sent one frantic look to his King and ran with the unconscious knight to Gaius. He would speak later. The man rushed to the Court Physician. Gaius set to work and once he was bandaged up he asked one question with sorrow in his eyes "Who _did_ this?"  
>Percival looked scared and replied "I don't know. Someone froze our horses in mid air and then Leon fell off his. He was screaming and then he suddenly stopped and we all thought he was dead. But he started <em>moving<em>. He attacked us but he wasn't even alive. Who, _Who_ could do that?" Gaius looked scared as well. "Only a _very_ powerful sorcerer. I must go talk to the King. Stay with Elyan." He whispered fear and sadness showing through his old eyes.

Then Morgana sat stock up right next to Emrys' face, he didn't even flinch, he just sat their frozen staring in to the vision still. Suddenly he laughed and Morgana smirked and said in a happy voice "He doesn't even know what we can do and he's _already_ scared!" Emrys smiled and murmured "I need to show you something. You need to understand before we go..." the smiled drifted away as he talked and, once Morgana had given a nod, he leant forward and grabbed her hands. And then he was walking through the bridge and he shoved all the memories of Freya and Arthur's vision and, as he pulled away, Morgana grabbed him and hugged him. "I am so sorry." She repeated over and over in an emotion filled voice. He hugged back and realised he was crying so pulled away. "We're going to kill the sorceress, right?" Morgana queried the righteous anger already in her eyes. "No. Death's too good for her. We're going to make sure she _never_ dies." replied Emrys in a voice filled with anger and malice.

They left in the usual silver wind and touched down behind the witch. "Do you know of a girl called Freya?" queried Emrys in a calm voice, on the face of it polite but behind that Morgana saw the unrelenting wrath. The woman looked up and started muttering and looked away and said "Freya? Angry girl. Hurt Jesk, hurt him bad. Liked killing. Killing her favourite, she does more of that now. I gave her a blessing. Liked, Liked killing. Angry girl." muttered the woman, her eyes wild, and she laughed like a tree falling in the forest. "Angry girl..." she muttered quietly over and over and she turned to walk away. She had been watching Emrys' face and she saw anger, pure wrath waiting to be unleashed in the ice cold blue eyes. She knew this was going to be fun.  
>Emrys didn't need to vocalise the spell but the woman saw his eyes and began to scream and, as he laughed and Morgana looked on, a lump of bloodied muscle the size of a fist pushed its way through the muscle and fat, bone and sinew until, with a scream of pure animalistic pain and horror from the old mad woman, her still beating heart fell through her ragged clothes. The witch looked like she was going to faint but Morgana's eyes, filled with righteous anger, flashed and the woman couldn't faint. She just stood her mouth open in a silent scream. Emrys laughed.<p>

Arthur and The Knights path back to Camelot cut through past this lake and they saw what Emrys and Morgana had done. They all wished they could burn that image away. The woman was floating in the air still awake, screaming and very scared. The names Emrys and Morgana were carved into her chest and the still beating heart glistened a bloody red. Arthur was horrified. He truly understood now that his best friend and his playmate through the years were gone. Bitter jeering sorcerers were in their place. They rode on past the plainly terrified witch.

They arrived to a Camelot which was completely normal. But they had changed; they were jumping at every sound with ashen faces. The shock of it all had hit them and as they entered the courtyard Gaius hurried them up to his chambers. As soon as the three tired, frightened men sat down they slept. Arthur woke up to harsh sunlight and Gaius came in and said "Thank the Gods you're awake sire. You've all been out for three days. The King wants to go over what happened when you went find... when you went on your quest.". Gaius stood in front of him with tears in his eyes. He didn't know...finding out about Merlin would kill him. He would blame himself. "Can I wait until Gwaine and Lancelot are awake?" he queried in hushed tones. He needed time. Gaius nodded silently and walked out of the room then Arthur heard worried voices outside then the door opened and Gwen ran in and kissed him. "Don't you do that to me again, Pendragon! I thought you were gonna die! I have some news though. You want to hear?" she said her voice veering from anger to happiness as the Princes insides froze. Morgana's threat passed through his mind but he ignored it and Gwen said in a voice full of excitement "I'm pregnant!"


	7. The eye in her storm

Slowly, a wind rose around Emrys, starting softly and swelling into a gale that whipped at Uthers clothes. He struggled to remain upright. In the dancing black light, Emrys crackled with power, radiating an aura of unrelenting danger. "You underestimate me, Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot!" he announced over the wind, which continued to rise, though it was eerily calm where Emrys stood toying with the sword that had been thrown at him seconds earlier. "It was _I_ who killed your old friend, Nimueh! It was _I_ who singlehandedly defeated Sigan, the most powerful sorcerer Camelot has ever known! I have seen the future in the Crystal of Neahtid, I have forged a sword that can slay the dead, and I am the last of the Dragonlords. Think before you challenge me, Old King!"  
>Then as sudden as Emrys' entrance Uther felt the dagger of the Blood Guard pressing into his neck. "Neither should you underestimate me, Father. I have become one of the only people you would run and hide from by your own hand. You will die and Arthur will cry and neither I nor Emrys will <em>care<em>. Because the tears of Albion are barely _beginning_ to fall." declared the voice of the terrified king's bastard child. The child he had raised removed her dagger from his throat and sauntered over to the smirking figure shaping the lump of metal that had been Uthers best sword. She held his hand and, as both pairs of eyes glowed a fierce and merciless gold, Uther heard their joined voices in his head 'However it is not at our very capable hands you will die, Uther Pendragon, but at a certain victim of your tyranny's _claws_.' He saw the mirror smirks on the faces in front of him and, his mouth wide with silent and completely logical terror, he was grabbed by a silvery claw.  
>Mordred sat straight up in the druid camp that had been his sanctuary for nearly a year and walked out of his tent. He went over to his guardian and let him know of what had happened and where he was going. The druid place a protection ward over the young boy and bringing food out the tent sent the child upon his way. As soon as he had got a safe distance from the camp Mordred let his magic surround him. His eyes morphed from his light blue to a molten gold and he appeared perfectly at ease in the middle of Emrys and Morgana's camp. Emrys turned around smiling, Morgana still asleep next to the fire. "Hello Mordred. We were wondering when you'd turn up. Saw that vision of Uther as well then?" queried Emrys with dark laughter in his eyes at the memory of that vision. 'I wasn't expecting you. Care to explain what happened?' murmured Mordred in Emrys head.<br>The apathy from that time slid back up in front Emrys' ice cold eyes and he showed Mordred what had happened since Morgana and Morgause's fall from power. The boy's eyes widened but that was the only outward sign of his feelings. His thoughts were blacker than they had been since Uther the despised tyrant had killed his father but he was also surprised. They had seen his mother. He could barely remember her. "Can you take me to my mother?" he murmured in a strange wistful voice. Emrys nodded and with a smile he poked around in Morgana's mind till she woke up. She blinked and seeing Mordred her mouth sprang into a warm smile and she hugged him close. Emrys smiled at the sight and quickly filled Morgana in on what she had missed. She nodded, Emrys' eyes flashed a gentle amber and they were transported to The Isle of the Blessed.  
>Nimueh saw the spiral of wind form in the courtyard and she appeared there on instinct. As soon as they appeared fully she gasped. She hadn't seen her son for so long. Not fully distracted by her son she noted Emrys' eyes, they were as cold as the night sky and it seemed as if this upset him, seeing mother and son together. Morgana noted that as well so as Mordred ran forward to hug his mother Morgana murmured in Emrys' mind 'Don't let the past block our future, Emrys. I know, even though you hide it, it still hurts. I understand. So no freak lightning killing any of us, Okay?' She was trying desperately to make light of the situation because, as she had reached into his mind, she had seen what he was thinking and, for the first time, she was actually scared. The anger in him made her want to run and hide, hide from the darkness she had befriended, but she knew that she wouldn't run away from him. He was the eye in her storm; it was safer to be close to him than far away.<br>Emrys' mind was as dark as Morgana's raven locks he thought of his mother and felt no sadness. All the apathy and self pity had evaporated leaving behind the molten anger that shot through him like Serkets poison. He kept his eyes closed like they had been in Camelot. The thoughts of Camelot morphed into every hurtful word, every day in the dungeons. He had thought he was properly angry at his mother's death but adding all of it on top he felt like he could make the world burn with a single thought and, he reasoned with a slight smirk gracing his ice cold face, he probably could.  
>Nimueh looked up at Emrys and Morgana and said "Thank you. I will repay this. Keep a weather eye out for me because I will help you end this." her voice full of joy for the first time in many years. Mordred smiled and nodded and spoke two words in his friend's heads 'Thank you.' Emrys and Morgana smiled and turned away, disappearing in the familiar whirlwind.<br>As soon as they arrived back at their camp they saw a hooded figure going through the bags, not noticing the startled Morgana and the emotionless Emrys behind him. At least until he found himself being pulled apart by the moving trees surrounding him. Morgana snuck a glance at Emrys as he manipulated the wood to hold the thief in place and her eyes widened. He looked…different. He shook his shoulder a few times and a grimace passed across his face. Then she realized why he looked different. Emrys' iris' were neither amber nor gold but a merciless black that as she looked slightly closer shone every colour. They were like black opals. As she stared in wonder the man began to scream she let him shriek for a few minutes and then whispered 'That's enough Emrys. We've all the time in the world.' in the dark mans head. His eyes faded back to the just as cold blue and they both smirked.  
>Then Morgana sauntered up to the terrified man and murmured in his ear "What in the name of the Gods did you think you were doing? Robbing the most powerful sorcerer of all times home? I think we should show you why that was a bad idea…" She heard Emrys' small chuckle and reached into the paralyzed mans mind and continued "After all Alexander, you only do it for <em>thrills<em>. It's my turn to sort out problems today Alexander so if I were you I'd close my eyes and pray to your Gods and hope I'm in a good mood. Because this most definitely _will_ hurt."

Just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has bothered to read this far. I'm developing writers block here so any Dark!Merlin things you know about would be helpful.


	8. A dragon without its fire

Back in Camelot Arthur grinned with unconditional delight and kissed Gwen, his queen. She smiled like the sun, making him warm again if only for a few fleeting moments. She placed the Princes hand upon her belly and, as if the child knew their father was there, a powerful kick hit Arthur's hand. Gwaine blinked blearily behind them and tried to sit up, kicking Lancelot in the process. Gwen laughed and Arthur turned beginning to laugh as Lancelot shot a death glare at the befuddled Gwaine, rubbing his head. Then suddenly Gwaine didn't look confused and Arthur knew he had just remembered it all. Gwaine sat there head in hands and cried silently for his lost friend. Gwen looked worried and went to go to him but Arthur pulled her back. "Sorry, Gwen. I'll explain everything later but we need to talk to the King. Look after Gwaine for now." He murmured and with a look at Lancelot he strode out of the room, the slightly red eyed knight close behind.  
>As Arthur arrived in the court Uther was hearing of a poor man, Alexander, who had been turned mad by a Sorceress in the forest. Upon his sons entrance he dismissed the council and called the ashen Knights forward.<br>He asked of what had happened on their mission and Arthur spoke as quick as he could trying to hide the emotions boiling beneath the surface. Lancelot had to take over when they got to the lake because Arthur couldn't say anymore. The Kings eyes grew as cold as Emrys' and he told them to leave as he discussed with Gaius and his other advisors.  
>Arthur murmured he needed to go to his rooms and walked off. He sat on his bed and let one tear escape for his stupid bumbling best friend who was no more. He blinked and they were there. Morgana and Emrys were in front of him and both were smiling their emotionless eyes promising oblivion. Emrys said one thing "Dollop Head." and Arthur's eyes once more filled with tears at hearing this facsimile of his friend say that. He cried out and threw a discarded sword at the smirking man in front of him but the sword went through Emrys and clanged against the wall behind them. Morgana laughed and said incredulously "He thinks we're real! Poor stupid hallucinating little brother. Bet his mummy's so proud." her voice laughing once more by the end. Her cruel words stung him deep and he couldn't look at her. He looked at the cold dark man and saw his eyes flash a merciless black and fire consumed him and Morgana 'til only a grinning smile and cold eyes hung in the air. After a few minutes even that eerie sight had gone but the Prince hadn't. Arthur was curled up upon his bed sobbing and no one found him for many minutes.<br>As Emrys slept a war began in his mind. Merlin was cowering trying to magic himself some protection but the raw power he had always owned was no longer there. He was scared, so scared of the darkness he knew had crept up his back and made itself at home upon his shoulders. When a cold darkness crept to him he turned to face his final battle and saw himself with eyes full of vengeance and wrath and shadows coiled like snakes around him he knew that for once he wouldn't win. He despaired in the face of the cold smirking black man, unconsciously knowing him to be his end. "Hello, Merlin. My name is Emrys. I can see inside of you, Merlin, and you are  
>so scared of the glorious dark. You are like a dragon without its fire, lost and weak without 'your' magic. But know this, it isn't yours. It never has been. I am the true form of your magic, and it is I who shall remain here for<br>eternity. I am magic incarnate and you can't be allowed to be lurking in the corners to stop me. There is a dark future coming, a _glorious_ future, waiting, but unfortunately for you, you won't be here to see it. Say goodbye, Merlin, to this world, for I bring your oblivion with swift paws." he whispered in a voice that promised the end of all things. Merlin looked up and saw his own eyes slowly morphing to the black opals which would be the last thing he ever saw. He stood up and gazed out to the darkness and thought of his Arthur and hoped that _he_ at least would get away with his life and free will. He thought of the man he had never had the courage to say three words too. He pictured the scene of him saying I love you to his prince and screamed "Arthur!" as his flesh melted into the dark. Emrys would never be challenged again.  
>Morgana stared at the dark man next to her. Although she would never admit to it she was both afraid and entranced of the vengeful god unleashed next to her but she knew that she was safer with him than she'd be with any other sorcerer. Then his eyes flew open, the terrible smile she found beautiful spread like a shadow upon his face. Morgana smirked and queried "Why were your eyes black earlier? I've never seen anything like that before." For a few second he looked confused but then he replied with a chuckle "Well I was using a lot of power. The trees didn't want anything to do with me. The dryads have been sending warnings about us around the forest. They were <em>trying <em>to push me away the idiots. They learnt their lesson .I broke them." Morgana's face showed of the awe she held for this man with unimaginable power. She questioned "What do we do next, Emrys? I wouldn't mind seeing _father_ but if Gaius wants to die that can be next. I don't mind, really." Anger sliced into her words at the mention of her father and her eyes grew cold.  
>"One thing before that, Morgana. If you have feelings for me, try to lose them, I'll just rip you up and let you drift through the wind. I've killed you once; don't think I wouldn't try again." Said Emrys in his old emotionless voice but as he spoke she saw his eyes. They spoke different words to his voice. She saw his protection of her and all who were like him and knew she couldn't just give up on him. He was her saviour from the madness hanging like an axe above her head. She nodded and asked what they would do now again in his mind this time. She wanted a glimpse of his thoughts as she pushed her words through but she saw nothing there. It was like running through a blank and vacant room. She pulled out and saw the tiniest hint of a smirk at the corner of Emrys' mouth and she knew he was playing with her. Her eyes hardened and she, in anger at his mockery, shoved the memory of him killing her into his mind. His eyes grew wide and he winced at the pain. She smiled like a victorious snake about to devour its prey then, before she could move, she was against a tree and he was standing in front of her his eyes the glittering terrible black but she was not afraid but entranced. Then all the ferocity and darkness faded from his eyes and she fell to the floor like a puppet with her strings cut, her mouth in the all too familiar smirk. But Emrys did not see her.<br>Emrys was stood in Morgana's mind as she died. He could feel the icy poison prowling through her bones, freezing her from the inside out. He saw himself, repentant tears in his eyes and he cursed his own stupidity, his frailty. He shook his mind away from the burning memory and saw her smiling smugly at him and he pushed her against a tree and appeared in front of her his mind full of pure anger at the stupid child looking at him with wide and _unafraid_ eyes. "How dare she try to better me! I should just leave her. I don't need her!" he fumed behind his i imperturbable gold eyes. He delved into her mind and was shocked to a still. He saw how she regarded him and he let her down abruptly. She was most probably smirking at what she assumed to be her victory but he was still staring at where she had been, still frozen in her mind. Then he pulled himself out of her still awed mind and helped her upright from the forest floor and he smirked behind his cold eyes; unlike Morgana he could hide his emotions well not blatantly parading them as she always did. He said "Your choice." and a shark like smile grew upon his face.

LONGEST CHAPTER YET! Writers block has hit with vengeance so don't expect an update to soon. However Summer Hols coming up (WOOHOOO!) so I'll have more time soon. Huge thanks to the super awesome Cead for giving me an ending I just need to build to and editing my speech. I'm rubbish at dialogue :P  
>Toodle pip my lovelies .<p> 


	9. You let her die

"Let's go and see my mother." replied Morgana, after a few seconds thought. Her face was glowing with a brilliant smile. Emrys was surprised at the quick swing from anger at him to joy at the thought of seeing the pleasant part of her family albeit one he had assumed dead. He realized she was waiting for a reaction to that suggestion and he smiled trying to make it as warm as hers and said in a happy (for him) tone "I said it was your choice, didn't I. I'll place the ward over here and you can take us."  
>Morgana was surprised at his relatively jovial reaction and acceptance of her leading a little. She'd been a bit submissive since they'd attacked the Knights because she'd been afraid of him. Spurred on by his good mood she replied, slightly apologetic "Actually would you mind taking us? I'll show you where to go. I'm feeling a bit out of it." She was feeling a bit spaced out though, it wasn't an excuse. To her it felt as if someone had exploded the sun inside her head and then moved it out all of sudden. Her brain was slightly overwhelmed and she didn't want to land miles out. He agreed eyeing her with slight concern in his eyes. So she carried out the wards unaware of the azure gaze following her every move.<br>He watched her. She looked a bit off; she kept losing her balance or blinking a few times. He wondered whether that was his fault. All that magic would probably startle her mind for a few minutes. Even though he knew what the looks she shot him when she thought he didn't see were he still wondered about the cause for this abrupt change in her attitude for him. Before she had hated him, now she was slightly awestruck. It may have started out as pity he mused. Then he saw Morgana's eyes fade back to green and he smiled and held out his hand to her. He felt her push a memory of a small citadel in Cenred's old kingdom and he encased them in the silver tornado.  
>Vivienne was daydreaming of the past again. She dreamt of Uther and Camelot and of her beautiful daughters playing in the sun. She didn't want to wake up but she felt something enter her citadel. She heard Morgana's voice and searched instinctively for Morgause her heart dropping as she found nothing as now usual. She opened her startling green eyes and went out into the courtyard. Then she felt the presence of a vast power with her daughter and conjured her shield upon instinct. She didn't know why but this morass of dark gold in her citadel scared her and probably all magic in Albion. Then Morgana was there in her arms and the dark gold she'd felt in her mind was stood in front of her, a warlock who was nearly pure magic. She flinched away from the dark man as some old primal instinct screamed to run. She didn't though; she was intrigued by this vessel of magic standing smiling in front of her. She murmured into her dark haired daughters mind words of concern but she was rebuked and, as Morgana smiled happily at her, she heard her voice in her head, 'Mother, This is Emrys.'<br>'Vivienne took it quite well. Suppose it runs in the family.' mused Emrys, a slight smirk gracing his face. He sat at a table with the mother of Morgana and Morgause. She was undeniably beautiful. She had the long blonde hair of Morgause and Morgana's warm green eyes. She had the same good looks as her sister Ygraine and both had passed down their radiance to their children. He had worked out that the pair had catching up to do so he had grabbed a book from the side, sent an encouraging smile to Morgana and ignored them for a few hours. After getting up to date with what had happened Vivienne asked the obvious question "Why are you here?" Emrys looked up, a vindictive smile on his face and said "We're going to kill Uther." She mirrored his smile and ventured "Who else have you got?" and Morgana answered "Nimueh, her son Mordred and the Great Dragon." They talked and strategized long into the night and when Emrys and Morgana finally slept Vivienne decided to give them why she wanted Uther dead. She placed her hands upon theirs and let the memories flood her mind and flow into their dreams.  
>Vivienne woke up in what would be her daughter's rooms. She woke up and got dressed and went to find her sister. She got to the door and Nimueh was outside sat on the floor crying. She talked to her and hugged her and told her the King didn't mean it, the King wouldn't kill her, trying not to cry all the while. Then, after she had sent her to go look after Morgause and Morgana and help them learn some more, she walked into her sisters, her Queens room and was greeted by the sight of her only family left, dead. She walked forward and, as her tears fell fast and unstopping, she stroked her sister's face softly. She looked as if asleep. But then Uther walked in and she turned anger in her eyes. "Leave us, Uther. I want to say good bye to my sister." And he turned around and stood outside respectfully waiting for his chance to talk with her. Then she came out her face dry but her eyes slightly red. She went to walk off but he grabbed the sleeve of her dress. "Please Vivienne. Talk to me! I know how you feel." he said worry and sadness tingeing his voice. She turned to him and spoke four words "You <em>let<em> her die." Her voice was rough from crying but the anger was obvious. She didn't speak; she didn't trust her voice to stay strong so she sent all her feelings at him, the man both she and her sister _had_ loved. She shoved him the anger at his use of the undertrained Nimueh, the disgust that he had blamed her and her pain at her sister death. He ran from her, frightened of this venom she stung him with. And, for the first time since Ygraine's death, he was truly scared. She went to Gaius and asked him to get Morgause away, look after Morgana, get Alice out, warn Balinor, _save_ people because she knew the future she'd thought her sister would stop through her love was coming. She went to Nimueh in the forest and showed her it all. Morgause and Morgana were playing and Morgause was making the baby rabbit Morgana wanted to stroke come closer. Vivienne nearly started crying but she pulled herself together to say goodbye to her girls. Nimueh stood a bit off letting her friend say her goodbyes to her beautiful children she waited 'til she had turned to leave and she went to hold the girls hands but Morgana wouldn't let go of Vivienne's dress. She pulled her off and the three of them waved good bye to Vivienne as she disappeared in the silver tornado. She focused on her forefathers' lands and one solitary tear slid down her cheek.  
>Emrys and Morgana woke and Vivienne smiled at them. Both faces showed pity and disgust and she said, with a smile and a voice so like her daughters "Now we go to Nimueh."<p>

Now we have Morgana's mum, Nimueh, Mordred and Kilgharrah ready to help which means I am nearly half way through. Tell me who you think will die in the next one. Once again a thousand virtual cookies to Cead for being a plot bunny restoration/creation centre. And thank you for reviewing m'dears. Sadly, I am going to Paris for three days so no updates. And no writing. I have _no_ idea how I am going to survive without writing another chapter. If I come back mad from not having written anything you can collect your bets and leave. Toodle pip darlings.


	10. From beyond the grave

Gwaine was in his apparently usual drunken state. If they hadn't before nearly every patron of the tavern had come to know him on a first name basis after returning from their quest for... he refused to let the name slid through his newly built barrier. He would rebuke the fact that he was trying to hide from his memories and that alcohol and women were the best distraction he could find. He sat on a precarious wooden stool with a drunken grin and a constantly refilled tankard. Forcing the urge to stare down at the tankard and fill it with tears away he swaggered over to a woman. He guessed she was beautiful but even things like that had lost their shine. She had garnered double takes and whisperings as she had entered so, as the resident knight, Gwaine did what he did best and flirted with the woman with no drink. "Hi I'm Gwaine. I was wondering why such a beautiful women was sitting in here without a drink?" he said mock incredulousness drifting in his slightly slurred speech. The women smiled up at him. She replied in an equally flirtatious tone "I know who _you_ are. I'm Nimueh and I've been sitting here waiting for someone with a brain to offer me one. But see as no one's here..." with that last thinly veiled taunt she rose and strode past the disbelieving faces and out the tavern. Gwaine followed garnering a wolf whistle as he flashed a grin back at them.  
>She walked with the composedness and air of a noble yet dressed in the clothes he would always be comfier. "You're hardly pompous enough to be a knight of Camelot. I like that. But still you're on the side of authority now. Can't be the loveable rogue, can't publically drown your sorrows, can you anymore <em>Sir<em> Gwaine?" Her voice drifted from mysterious flirtation to malice and mockery without a care in the world. She most probably did not know the high strung nerve she'd hit in the wide eyed slowly sobering, curious man. She...intrigued him to say the least. He was too caught up in his thoughts to notice the vindictive smile upon her face. That was until she turned around palm raised and her eyes glowed the forever unsettling amber gold.  
>A young black haired boy ran through the castle, eyes wide and darting. He screamed for the man who had helped him and then the blonde man, who had been kind to him before, was there holding him in place asking questions with eyes full of concern. Mordred struggled for breath and murmured unintelligible words his voice hoarse from screaming. "Arthur, look." He rasped his voice grating to his own ears, one limp hand pointing toward the setting sun, toward where a woman stood and as he watched she blasted a long haired knight away from her. The Princes eyes widened and he didn't notice, like his now fully sobered friend Gwaine, the smirk on the black haired individual getting ready to attack right behind him. He turned to ask how the child had known of this and as greeted by a lifted palm and light gold eyes and a smirk he had never thought he'd see on that face. He was lifted and thrown out the window. He hurtled toward the cobbled ground his eyes fixed on the cold vengeful smirk on the boys face. He closed his eyes as he fell quicker and quicker. Then all the momentum he had gathered left; he had stopped roughly an inch above the ground. His head was rocked back by the sudden stop and he blacked out. Only one thought went through his mind 'But he's just a child...'<br>Emrys smirked at the twin modus operandi the first attackers had chosen. The clichéd words 'Like Mother, Like Son' drifted through his head. He saw as one of the guards rushed toward the Princes prone body. The word disgusted him, how did ancestry define power! The man sounded the alarm and many guards rushed out of various archways. A cold bitter laugh and biting mockery was in order. They had 200 fighters and they thought it would be an even fight! Even if they had 800 more men Camelot would never be safe. They weren't invading because to be honest that wasn't fun it was simple assassination, albeit with the flamboyancy of magical aid. He nodded at the raven haired woman watching the proceedings with a cold smirk and happy eyes and Vivienne smiled at them and closed her eyes. Her soul flew from their safe place and sped toward her once lover chambers in the 'impregnable' city.  
>Uthers mind was a minefield of madness and it would explode quite often. He had never regained full sanity after losing both De Bois sisters at once. He believed himself responsible for what he believed to be two deaths and he <em>was<em> responsible for one. Then his half broken mind smashed as he lost his beautiful ward and it was ground to dust when the new set of sisters rose to rule the land. He knew one thing in the deprived morass of his brain, any remnant of the women he had loved he could _never_ hate. Even as Morgana smirked at him, Arthur held a sword to his throat he would be unable to experience that one emotion toward them. He over compensated that absence on the bane of his land, the magic that hung in his every waking moment dangling above him, just out of reach for destruction. He missed his twin lights unknowing that one would visit quite soon.  
>Many of the staff that weren't helping guard the citadel saw the nearly forgotten noblewoman drift toward the Kings Chamber but none believed what they saw. Uther did when the beautiful woman drifted through his door looking just as she should, every inch the queen she could have been if he hadn't found Ygraine first.<br>"You let us both die, old King. I was stabbed through the chest by a group of magic hunters. It didn't hurt, not as much as seeing you fall into this abyss. Where is the man I loved? You are no longer that man. You are an aberration. I am dead at your hand, like my sister, like my _brother_. I should have told you so much before you became this abomination who crushed life from our beautiful land. That _you_ are the evil not the magic. That magic lives forever here. That _you_ are the accursed shadow upon every life here. There is one final truth before your eyes and your heart grow still and you hear no more. We both _hate_ you. From beyond the grave our hate kept us here. More powerful than life and death is our hate for the man who killed us both. And you are _so scared_." she said her voice loud and clear and by the end of the speech her voice sounded so like her daughters. Bitter jeering resentment and cold anger was all she had for him. So the trembling frightened man ran out of his chambers as afraid as he'd been the last time he'd heard her voice. She drifted next to him, smirking, never falling behind laughing at the terrified King who ran through the place he'd believed safe. He didn't realize that nowhere was safe from her anymore.  
>A dark man watched through the attackers minds as they carried out their tasks and he let one black yet happy thought rush to them 'Now we truly begin. ' and five matching smirks graced golden eyed faces.<p> 


	11. Pity, I liked you

The lone beast reared its head without joy. Only irrevocable sadness and futile anger filled the once awe inspiring 'Great Dragon'. Kilgharrah cursed Emrys for changing the path he should've walked. Even the thought of killing the tyrant did not hold the vengeful glory it once had. He heard the once naive voice in his head and, unable to disobey his _master_, he set himself toward the shining city with a roar that shook the mountains.  
>Nimueh was dancing and spinning her eyes a deeper gold than they had in a long time. She returned from her attack on the pitiful defences to her original fight. She went sword to sword with the knight which confused him to no end. He got a lucky hit to her arm which, as she hissed in pain, healed within seconds. She was angry, her game was getting boring by then, so as he looked at her, fear still in his eyes at her healing, she kicked him the stomach. As he doubled over pain she whispered in his ear "That's all? I though Knights of Camelot were harder than that!" malicious glee dripping from each word. As he slowly recovered his breath, Nimueh raised her hand and said one word he didn't understand "<em>Pealwaya<em>" he was lifted suddenly into the air and he flew above fight, hearing Nimuehs laughter all the while, and he crashed through a house in the Lower Town. As soon as he had recovered from the brief flying lesson he peered out of the door and he saw shadows moving, fighting the guards. He could barely see them; they were a starless night given form, they had dancing specks of golden light inside them telling the world that they were of magic. A small part of his brain that sounded awfully like a lost friend was shouting 'Look behind you, turn around idiot!'. Then he heard a sound like someone whispering nearby and he ducked and spun round to face the shadow behind him.  
>He wasn't quick enough. He froze in completely rational fear, realizing why everyone was slightly afraid of the dark as the shadow shrunk. It became a shining black spark no bigger than a mustard seed and, before there was time for his eyes to grow wide, it flew at him and passed through his forehead. Sir Gwaine fell to the floor unmoving. His body shook and black veins appeared at his neck and spread. They faded and his eyes flew open. The once warm brown eyes were replaced by the black opals of Emrys and he stood up, shook himself, picked up a forgotten sword and joined the fight.<br>Morgana walked through the lower town her eyes filled with golden light. Buildings collapsed behind her, attackers were repelled and she stayed on a straight path through as calm as a stone in the lake of Avalon. Then she saw two opponents that were as close to worthy as she'd find. The Knight she'd never encountered and Gwens erstwhile paramour Lancelot. They both shuddered as arcs of electricity hit them between the shoulders and their attackers turned away from them at the smirking witches look. The Knights, still gasping for breath, were forced upright by Morgana's glowing eyes. When they recognised the smirking woman in front of them they grabbed their swords and attacked together. Her sword deflected the blows in a blur and Morgana twisted out of the way. 'Thanks brother.' She thought jeeringly as the men, surprised at her prowess, attacked again. Her sword flashed in the setting sun and hit both swords away again. She got in an easy blow to Lancelots shoulder and he fell back and was faced by another Scáth. She was proud of her creations. Emrys and her mother had wanted to make them but she made them herself, wanting irrevocable proof of her abilities. She fought as if it was a dance; darting forward, leaning back, spinning out of blades reach. She struck blow after blow and had the exhausted, pitiful excuse for a knight at her mercy when a child ran out of one of the houses at her. The young girl screamed "No!" as Morgana turned toward Percival ready to finish the wide eyed knight then she realized the wide eyes were not directed at her. She delved in his mind and saw the fear for who appeared to be his younger sister. She smiled and froze the pair. She slowly stalked toward the young girl and heard the Knight gasp as he worked out what she was doing. He struggled but Morgana reached the shaking girl and she bent down and whispered "I can be your friend, Evania. I could show you amazing things. Or I could kill you. I want you to decide your fate." in her ear. Percival's eight year old sister stood strong and bravely replied "I stand by my brother and Camelot."  
>"Pity, I liked you." said Morgana, smiling like a shark. Suddenly people were screaming and, as the huge shadow fell over Camelot, Morgana knew Uthers end would come soon and she smiled. She leaned forward but before she could cast her enchantment, the hard spiked tail of the Great Dragon smashed into her.<br>Kilgharrah saw the destruction being wrought in the city and heaved a great sigh of mourning for Albions forgotten path. His wings scraped the towers and he saw the Witch down below. She smiled and reached toward a child. Kilgharrah grew as angry at her as he'd ever been with a tyrant. He swung himself round his tail sending the accursed woman far away from the child. He laughed and went to perch on a turret to watch the stupid battle but he heard an ear splitting, livid roar that shocked some Camelot fighters and unable to stop himself he headed toward the call.  
>Emrys had been inside Morgana's mind when she'd been hit. His head was still reeling from the experience when he heard the beast<em> laugh<em> at her prone body. He pulled himself away from the disorientation and roared the words that called the creature he'd believed kin to him. He stood in their clearing and waited. Kilgharrah alight a few feet away from the dark man. He didn't like the calmness emanating from him; it was like the lull before the storm, it brought a sense of defeat, a peacefulness that promised no more pain, no more joy, no more anything. The azure gaze held oblivion as it gazed upon the uneasy beast. "Kilgharrah, you attacked my side without provocation. You know what will happen from such an act. From now on you only do as I say. You will obey the voice of your kin however much you hate our association. Go, beast and wait where we agreed. No deviation. " said Emrys in a voice that scared Albion. He betrayed no emotion however much he yearned to smite the infuriating beast as Kilgharrah rose back into the sky. Emrys turned away and, his eyes flashing amber, brought Morgana to him. She was still unconscious and her pulse was slightly unsteady but she seemed fine other than that. 'Still,' thought Emrys 'We must do something about the beast. I think he may have outlived his usefulness...'  
>Nimueh was walking amidst the chaotic fighting, her mind searching through the citadel for that familiar mind. She found him and laughed as she felt him rush and worry over causalities. Her good humour passed like a forgotten burst of sun as a guard crashed into her, flipping over her back. Her eyes went cold and shone deep gold as she murmured a spell she didn't know "<em>Faewará<em>!" The fighters of Camelot were thrown away from her as she laughed at their terrified faces. She sent thanks back through her link to their leader and she faded away her mind focused on the old man running through the castle. 

So everyone we care about is in terrible danger. And where's Gwen in all this? I hope to update a lot now I'm back but I have school next week. I have no time anymore! I will try to update at the very minimum once a month :) Love you all dearies :D


	12. The Traitor they'd trusted

Nimueh appeared in a deserted corridor in the nearly unused east wing and sent a whispered 'Hello' to the traitor they'd trusted, Gaius the hypocrite, the healer who let so many die. She strode toward him her shoes loud on the old stone, echoing further than natural.  
>Gaius froze. The voice he'd thought gone forever wove through his old mind and he just stood. He moved again after a minute of shock, of rational fear. He walked away from the impromptu infirmary toward where he knew she'd find him. He didn't let the thought of his death scare him because he knew that compared to most people he had lived too long. Too many regrets weighed him and he'd thought that they were more to come but apparently not. He stopped that line of thought because falling into despair wouldn't help and then, then she was there.<br>"Hello, Gaius. Time we had it out, don't you think? The betrayed and the traitor." She said vindictive joy flooding her pale eyes at the opportunity to finally tell him what he was. "You sent your own friends to their deaths. Gregor, Jaden, We all thought you could protect people but all you did was for people you liked, things that were good for you. Now you're old and I am not. I have power but anything the Old Religion gifted you fled with your actions. I trusted you to temper the storm and you didn't. Now you've lost your almost son. He's watching this, you know. I can feel him. He's in my mind and Morgana's and my son's and Vivienne's and your _precious_ ward, he's laughing. Laughing with _us_." She exclaimed all the anger and outrage that had boiled for twenty three years spilling out as she stood in front of the old man. Gaius just stood in front of her his face impassive and said "I have many regrets but turning over the corrupted and growing old and saving civilian lives for twenty three years are not among them." A small laugh burst from Nimueh "Liar! I saw it on your face! Those screams, Jaden's tears, little Edwin's anguish, they haunt you. You're haunted by the past, by what you've done in your too long life. Just like me." She said her voice nearly failing her. Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears and anger and so much more."You didn't know...Jaden was with child. She told me before she died and she _burnt_. That innocent child never to be born because _you_ handed them over!" she said more anger and sadness directed at the old man than there'd ever been for Uther. Gaius couldn't speak; he thought of Jaden's anguished screams, of her eyes fighting through the smoke for him, for her child, the words every sorcerer in the city heard 'My child!'. He'd thought she meant the agonised little boy running through the flames, he'd never considered the idea of a tiny little child floating, waiting for light and getting oblivion. He pulled himself from the thoughts of fire and pain and saw Nimuehs mad looking eyes morph to a terrible gold. He did not cry out as he was flung against a wall. His eyes closed and he saw a little girl screaming on a pyre. Then Gaius the traitor saw no more.  
>Gwaines body strode through the fight moving as he screamed at it to stop. He saw Lancelot thrown through a building, Percival fighting Nimueh and Gwen stared in horror out of a window. He screamed with no mouth and couldn't stop. He cut down the bar owner and then that <em>thing<em> that had made him move fled. He fell to the floor and felt something different in his head. His eyes were closed but he could see Merlins face smiling, properly smiling then the warm smile changed. It morphed into the one that had plagued his dreams since he had fought his friend and the joy and hope that had sprung in him vanished like a carpet pulled from under him. He heard Emrys talk to him but he didn't know what he was saying. The presence left him but he could still see the glittering black opals in his mind.  
>Arthur was fighting for his life against Mordred. He'd thought the child to be a good druid, albeit an unnerving one. Now he was jumping out of the way of the flames the smiling boy sent toward him. He saw the blue eyes far too like Merlins flash amber almost lazily and whilst he dodged realized what was bugging him. Mordred wasn't trying to kill him. If that was what he wanted to do he already would be a charred corpse. 'Great imagery, idiot. Do you want to think about that <em>right<em> now?' thought a small part of his brain with an all too familiar voice. However the rest of his brain just replied 'Shut up! Life or Death here!' and carried on with the sideways roll he'd been forced to deploy. Then he just stood still in front of the little boy and waited for the death blow. All he saw was a smile and emotionless blue eyes then he wasn't in the courtyard. He was in the dungeons then the throne room then the lower town. Shocked faces stared at him and went to rescue him but Mordred screamed. Ice settled upon the closest bodies and all the warmth was sucked from around him. Frost formed in the clothes and his eyelashes were covered with snowflakes. He wanted to get to his sword but he couldn't move. Mordred sent a mocking nod toward him and slipped between the ice statues surrounding them.  
>Emrys and Morgana stood together in the clearing staring at the burning town beneath them. They saw Mordred's ice circle and Nimuehs fire bursts and then the beast who'd betrayed them once too much landed in front of them, his unease obvious on his face. "I came, Emrys, for my vengeance. We leave now." He said all his riddles and cryptic codes stripped bare. "See you there, <em>kin<em>." Emrys replied, mocking the powerless creature. Kilgarrah bowed at the smirking pair and flew off to where he must go. He knew they were going to do something, and knew that nothing would take Emrys off this path. His last kin truly cared for no one except perhaps the witch and even there he wasn't sure. And his uncertainty irked him, because, being unsure, could well be his undoing.  
>Vivienne drifted in front of the King cowering on the throne. She said nothing, just staring at him. She brought up memories of the dead children, dying friends, her sister into being. They screamed, pleading for him to stop, cursing him, and he shook in his royal splendour, the madman who too often heard truth as treason. Then she felt her daughter and Emrys arrive and she smirked at the wild eyed King. She pulled herself back to her body and entered the destroyed town. Scáths and the possessed fought without noise. Men in Camelot regalia were retreating to the courtyard, fear obvious in there every step, treading over old friends. She looked around, pleased but unsurprised, to see only Camelot casualties. She strode through the advancing Scáths and smiled at the bewildered fighters. To see someone living come from that side could only make the fight harder they reasoned but she had disappeared by the time they'd begun to attack, the darkness she'd summoned had descended and they saw no more.<p> 


	13. Tsunami

Uther Pendragon stared vacantly at where she had been. He didn't notice the arrival of the manservant until he was in front of him. Seeing the familiar face pushed the madness away for the moment. He wasn't the same, he saw, The Boy was wearing the same outfit he always did but it was the colour of dried blood and his face was cold. The King unconsciously flinched from the Servant who stared at him with undisguised disgust. He then remembered that the servant was dead, that Arthur had fought him in the forest. He realized that the look of disgust might have meant and tried to use the voice he had used for Morgana. "Why are you here? What is your name?" he requested forcefully. The Man just laughed and mockingly replied "Emrys sire. Formerly known as Merlin or, perhaps to you, The Servant. Bit slow today aren't we, your majesty?" Uthers rage burned at that blatant disrespect. "How dare you! I am your king and I asked you WHY ARE YOU HERE?" he shouted with anger that betrayed his madness. "To kill you sire. Didn't you know your citadels falling or were you just screaming at nothing?" Emrys replied a vindictive smile drifting through his features. Then he suddenly lifted his palm upward and the wood of the roof turned to dust as his eyes almost lazily flashed amber. Uther threw his sword at the sorcerer in front of him and stared with horror akin to the one of Viviennes making at his sword as it floated in the air caught by Emrys' amber eyes. The still iced pools of the sorcerer's eyes spoke of fire, death and unimaginable anger. Uther stood to try and stare down the sorcerer who'd dared attack his home. Slowly a wind rose around them. It whipped at Uthers robes and pushed him back to the throne. He squinted to see the figure stood in the chaos.  
>Emrys stood in the centre of the whirlwind that had come as instinct and played with the fine sword that had been thrown at him. He was fighting to keep the rising anger and annoyance down; he didn't want to just kill the annoying, stupid, arrogant man. Once he had quelled the urge to swat the King like the insect he was, he let the words he already knew come to his lips. "You underestimate me, Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot!" he stated over the rushing wind, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth at the cowering man squinting at him with no regality in his face. "It was <em>I<em> who killed your old friend, Nimueh! It was _I_ who singlehandedly defeated Sigan, the most powerful sorcerer Camelot has ever known! I have seen the future in the Crystal of Neahtid, I have forged a sword that can slay the dead, and I am the last of the Dragonlords. Think before you challenge me, Old King!"  
>Uther sucked in a breath as he heard the sorcerer's words. Nimueh and Sigan, the threats who disappeared, were gone at the hand of the wind shrouded man in front of him. The Crystal of Neahtid was an artifact only few people in the history of Albion had ever used, Vivienne being one of them. He didn't want to be in awe of the powerful man in front of him but he couldn't help it. Then, before he'd even let out that hastily sucked in breath, he felt the instantly recognisable serrated edge of the Blood Guard dagger at his throat.<br>"Neither should you underestimate me, _Father_. I have become one of the only people you would run and hide from by your own hand. You will die and Arthur will cry and neither I nor Emrys will _care_. Because the tears of Albion are barely _beginning_ to fall." proclaimed his once ward in the voice that broke his heart, the voice that was far too like her mothers. But still, even through the declarations of hatred from her, he could not hate the beautiful woman he'd brought up.  
>Morgana was happier than she'd been since Emrys burst into her life. She smiled at the man in the center of the wind and was surprised to get one in answer. She reluctantly removed the serrated dagger from her father's throat, hand itching to slash his throat, to see the blood she shared spill on the dirty boot trodden floor. He did not look upon her with fear or hatred or even anger. He looked pitying and that irked her to no end. It made her wish (certainly not for the first time) she'd let him die all that time ago at the hands of the assassins she'd commanded. She sauntered to Emrys through the racing wind and smiled as she saw what he had been doing to Uthers finest sword. In his boredom he had begun to shape the shining metal into the recognizable shape of the rowan tree. He abandoned the lump of metal and it fell to the floor without sound as he reached for her hand. She took his hand and felt the tsunami of magic rushing just under the surface. She held herself in the magic that ran through their fingers. She couldn't rip down the walls on her own she knew so she let the magic rush through her and she knew her eyes were shining, displaying the exhilarating rush of sparkling gold just beneath the surface. Their linked magic made a sphere visible too them both. It shined with black light she associated with Emrys and pulsated with their will. She felt like laughing at the overwhelming power that span around them, puling Kilgharrah closer and slowly demolishing the grand stone walls around the quaking king. The Joy of vengeance making them both smile they sent Uther Pendragon the last words he'd hear.<br>'However it is not at our very capable hands you will die, Uther Pendragon, but at a certain victim of your tyranny's _claws_.' Uther stared in horror at the smirking sorcerers and, his jaw slack and eyes wide with completely logical terror, he was yanked from the disintegrating splendour by a shining claw.  
>Kilgharrah had the tyrant in his talons, at his mercy but he didn't want this vengeance. Not anymore. He wanted to gently put the King down, to fly far away from this uncertain path. He heard the impatient voice of the once naïve warlock tell him to move along come from the courtyard where the soldiers were gathering. He pushed himself upwards gaining speed as the old king gaped at the shrinking citadel. He heard his orders and dropped the pitiful man. He watched as the enemy of his people fell; he saw the closed eyes and the single escaped tear slide down his cheek. Then Uther Pendragon, executioner and tyrant, loving father and caring friend was no more.<br>Arthur was fighting a man possessed when the first person screamed. He turned to see what everyone was screaming at and forgot the fight, forgot everything as he saw his last remaining family speed in to the sky in the grip of a scaled creature. He didn't see the dark boy making his way to him, didn't even notice the sounds of people trying to defend him. He saw his father fall from the sky and heard the words of the Great Dragon in his mind. 'I am sorry for your path King Arthur' he heard and he looked at the clearly unsettled beast staring at the broken body in the courtyard. Then Arthur was jolted back to the real world by a blistering heat. The fight had begun with rage fueling the Camelot guards and mirth at their heroics from the sorcerers. Mordred advanced on the once and future king with remorseless eyes. Arthur fuelled by anger and adrenaline hit faster and harder than ever before. He struck blow after blow but the child seemed unfazed by it. Arthur saw the blue eyes flash golden but he jumped out of the way. He didn't move fast enough. He looked down to see blood soaking through his armour and a dagger embedded in his side. A he fell to the floor feeling no pain he saw the young boy advance a malicious smirk adorning the once innocent face. He waited til he was close enough to see every detail of the boys movements then he thrust upward with his sword hilt. Mordred fell, winded and vulnerable, like the child he was but, before he could retaliate, he was cast upward in a gold bubble. "Arthur." Said the voice that haunted him, the one that had said so many _stupid_ things but not. He turned toward the twisted voice of his once best friend.

Sorry about the update lateness. I'm back at the hellhole so I have three pieces of homework a day. Joy. I will update within a month. Hopefully.  
>Love, Forever the Pretender.<p> 


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